A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

The Alliance for the Arts in Research Universities (a2ru) is seeking an outstanding leader with experience, vision, and capabilities to serve as its executive director.

a2ru is a national organization of research universities dedicated to promoting and studying innovative practices that enable its members to better integrate artists, arts practice, and arts integration research within their institutions and throughout higher education. To date, 45 leading research universities are members of the Alliance, and many more participate in its conference and programs. The Alliance seeks an experienced, visionary leader who can advance its growth and provide leadership in fostering interdisciplinary collaboration to improve the culture of higher education; and infuse a growing organization on the vanguard of research, teaching, and practice with an entrepreneurial, collaborative spirit. a2ru is hosted and housed at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Serve as spokesperson and visionary leader for arts integration on a national platform

Oversee facilitation of communications among member institutions to envision and achieve a2ru’s goals

Engage in strategic travel, including speaking engagements on behalf of the network and a2ru mission as well as recruiting

Experience in interdisciplinary research and practice

Outstanding written and verbal communications skills

Communication skills and experience suitable for working with faculty and senior leadership in a university setting

Able to foster exchange between universities, with the ability to receive multiple viewpoints and distill/articulate them into a coherent view

Experience working across sectors, including funders and media; government, nonprofit, corporate, and private partners

Thorough conversance with issues facing the arts and interdisciplinarity in higher education

Intellectual versatility across disciplines and capacity to guide mixed methodological research

Experience managing a professional staff

Demonstrated experience and success in development (including individual, foundation and corporate giving)

An advanced degree is required

Experience with and in the arts (performance, administration/marketing, academic, etc.) preferred

Prior experience with national programming preferred

A higher salary may be considered for an extraordinarily qualified candidate.

Michigan Engineering’s vision is to be the world’s preeminent college of engineering serving the common good. This global outlook, leadership focus and service commitment permeate our culture. Our vision is supported by a mission and values that, together, provide the framework for all that we do. Information about our vision, mission and values can be found at: http://strategicvision.engin.umich.edu/ .

The University of Michigan has a storied legacy of commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). The Michigan Engineering component of the University’s comprehensive, five-year, DEI strategic plan—along with updates on our programs and resources dedicated to ensuring a welcoming, fair and inclusive environment—can be found at: http://www.engin.umich.edu/college/about/diversity.

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

Internal Number: 164353

About University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

A great university is made so by its faculty and staff, and Michigan is recognized as one of the best universities to work for in the country. The Michigan culture is known for engaging faculty and staff in all facets of the university to create a workplace that is vibrant and stimulating.For two consecutive years, the Chronicle of Higher Education has placed U-M in its "Great Colleges to Work For" survey. In particular, the university earns high marks for strong relations between faculty and administrators, a collaborative system of governance, strong pay and benefits, and a healthy work/life balance.